in bed
in bed — idiom
1. used as a polite, indirect way of saying that two people are having sex with eac
used as a polite, indirect way of saying that two people are having sex with each other
Minho and his colleague Emma had been in bed together for months before their co-workers caught on.
idiom: be in bed together
At the party, Joaquín bragged about being in bed with a famous singer.
The rumour going around campus said the professor was in bed with a graduate student.
The people next door were in bed so often that the whole street knew about it.
- sleep with
slightly more direct but still euphemistic; can also imply spending the night without sex
文法句型
be in bed with [someone]
be in bed together
用法筆記
This is the most common idiomatic meaning of 'in bed'. It is a euphemism — deliberately indirect — and avoids crude or clinical terms. Suitable in everyday conversation but out of place in formal writing or professional contexts.
常見錯誤
2. used to talk about a person's skill, habits, or preferences as a sexual partner
used to talk about a person's skill, habits, or preferences as a sexual partner
Yara asked her best friend whether Ezra was any good in bed.
pattern: [adjective] in bed
Noor was confident in the office but shy and quiet in bed.
After a few drinks, Sumin's friends asked what her new boyfriend was like in bed.
The magazine survey asked readers to rate their own partner's skills in bed.
- good in the sack
cruder and more vulgar — avoided in polite company
文法句型
[adjective] in bed
how good/terrible/shy [someone] is in bed
用法筆記
Always follows an adjective or a question about quality (How is… / What is… like). Without an adjective, 'He is in bed' means he is having sex (sense 1), not that he is skilful at it.
常見錯誤
3. discovered while having sex, especially by someone who was not supposed to see t
discovered while having sex, especially by someone who was not supposed to see them
Mayumi's father walked in and caught her in bed with her boyfriend.
collocation: caught in bed with [someone]
The hotel cleaner walked in on the newlyweds in bed and apologised before leaving.
Élise was mortified when her mother came home early and caught them in bed.
Nora's landlord entered the apartment without warning and found her in bed with one of the neighbours.
- caught red-handed
broader: used for any wrongdoing, not only sex
文法句型
caught in bed with [someone]
found in bed with [someone]
用法筆記
Almost always appears after a verb of discovery — caught, found, walked in on, discovered. The emphasis is on the embarrassment or scandal of being seen by an unexpected third party.